Updated

The Maldives government says the prosecutor general will appeal the former president's 13-year jail sentence after finding irregularities in the terrorism case against him.

The government statement issued Friday said the prosecutor general found "procedural irregularities, including the violation of some fundamental rights," in the case before Mohamed Nasheed was sentenced in March.

Nasheed's lawyers had previously said that their client was not given a fair hearing, wasn't given enough time to prepare for his defense and his own appeal was blocked by a delay in issuing case documents.

A lawyer for Nasheed said Friday that irrespective of the appeal, President Yameen Abdul Gayoom must use his authority to commute the sentence and free him.